April 16 - 7pm Location: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West

John Picco, will share true stories about how relentless preparation and the “train like you fight” ethos deliver split‑second execution in combat. Drawing on 28 years in Naval aviation, the Commander will share vivid firsthand experiences to demonstrate the essential role of calculated risk‑taking, pushing to the edge and just past it, and owning results with no excuses. His presentation will highlight how high‑intensity training, trust in your wingman, and trust in yourself create a mindset where mission success is all that matters.

Commander John Picco is a retired U.S. Naval aviator, a Villanova University graduate and TOPGUN-trained pilot with over 3,000 hours in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, 900 arrested carrier landings across six carriers, and 80 combat missions. A few of his more memorable assignments include flying with the VFA-195 Dambusters in Japan, shaping global maritime strategy at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and serving the US Ambassador as the Naval Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia. His final posting was right here in Key West as the Director of Current and International Operations at JIATF-South.

Since retiring in 2020, he’s brought that same discipline and strategic focus to the Southernmost Edward Jones office as a Financial Advisor, helping Florida Keys families, retirees, and business owners pursue financial freedom. Deeply rooted in Key West, John is active in local charities and military affairs, continuing a life defined by service. He is married to Melissa, and they have two wonderful children attending Key West High.

March 26 - 7pm Location: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West

Jonathan Rizzo's presentation takes a compelling look back at the catastrophic 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States and Florida Keys.
Rizzo will guide the audience through the severe limitations meteorologists of that era faced in predicting and communicating its impact. The presentation will also examine the growing role of social science in hazardous weather messaging and how forecasters communicate risk in ways that motivate action.

As Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Rizzo is responsible for public outreach and preparedness coordination across Monroe County and its municipalities. He serves as a deployment-ready meteorologist during tropical cyclone emergency operations, providing direct weather support to decision-makers during activations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University.

Licensed dietician, nutritionist, and health educator, Leigh Pujado will discuss how the internet and social media bombard us with confusing and conflicting nutrition and dietary advice, many of us are left wondering what’s fact and what’s fiction! Gain science-based insights that will empower you to make choices right for you. You’ll learn about the evolution of nutrition advice, where dietary guidance took some wrong turns, and how that launched decades of fad diets. Leigh will include a little biochemistry so that you can understand how the body responds to certain foods to better equip you to choose foods that sustain health.

Leigh Pujado: Leigh, MS, CNS, LDN, is a licensed dietician nutritionist and health educator operating the clinical practice, “Hibiscus Nutrition.” Using a whole person, integrative approach, Leigh’s training is based on a Functional Medicine model and rooted in modern, evidence-based medical nutrition therapy. Her focus is on guiding individuals to better health through laboratory analysis, lifestyle and behavior change, supportive nutrients, and personalized dietary planning. She can also teach you how to cook!
MS, CNS, LDN: Master of Science (MS) in nutrition, Certified Nutrition Specialist® (CNS) designation from the American Nutrition Association, Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN) state license

Dr. Jack Stein Grove - Marine Biologist and CFK Distinguished Alumnus 2025

Dr. Grove explores how atolls form and examines the cultural impacts of rising seas across Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. He also recounts a dramatic expedition—raising a two-ton anchor from 150 feet of water amid tiger sharks, strong currents, and fading light on one of the world’s most remote uninhabited islands.

Dr. Jack Stein Grove, a 1972 graduate of the College of the Florida Keys. Dr. Grove began his research in the Galapagos in 1975 when he sailed out of Miami on a three-month expedition. Since then, Jack has published numerous scientific and popular articles on his research. He worked with Jean Michele Cousteau, who wrote the foreword to his first book, published by Stanford University Press in 1997. During the presentation on January 15, Jack will share with the audience the natural history of the Islands and his adventures of the past five decades, guiding thousands of snorkelers and divers through this enchanted archipelago.